Rookie swimmer clinches OUA berth Team fares well at home meet by Imad Al-Sukkari The Carleton University Ravens hosted a swim meet that included several familiar Ontario University Athletics (OUA) opponents including the Queen’s University Golden Gaels and the University of Ottawa Gee Gees Jan 29. The meet was designed as a tune-up for swimmers competing at the OUA championship Feb 11-13 in St. Catharines, Ont. The Carleton men’s team fared well in the competition placing first in eight of 15 races. Keegan Harris led Carleton finishing first in the 100-metre, 200-metre and 400-metre freestyle races. Another notable performance for the Ravens came from Mike Penney, who went head-to-head against teammate Harris only to finish second in the 200-metre event, a race that saw both swimmers set personal best times. Penney won gold in the 400-metre individual medley and the 200-metre butterfly. Ravens men’s coach John Waring says he was pleased. "I was impressed by the way the team has performed and I believe if we fire on all cylinders at the OUA we can place fourth or even third," says Waring. The women’s team put up a solid showing at the meet with captain Paolo Osorio leading the way. Osorio won gold in the 200-metre butterfly and the 200-metre individual medley. Rookie swimmer Amy Pouliot produced one of the pleasant surprises of the meet. Pouliot met the OUA standard in the 50-metre freestyle and 50-metre butterfly races, clinching an OUA championship berth in the process. A solid performance by Melissa Juergensen earned her second place in both the 50 and 100-metre butterfly events. Waring says he liked what he saw from the rookies at the competition. "The rookies are doing quite well, they have been involved in club swimming for a while and so far they handled the pressure very well," says Waring. Carleton women’s coach Lynn Marshall says she expects both teams to improve. "Things are looking good this year [for] both teams," says Marshall. "We should move up the rankings especially the women’s team." Though the Ravens are optimistic about their chances of performing well at provincials, they are also realistic about their goals. Third-year swimmer Tanner Rasmussen says that the team is better but still not at the same level as the University of Toronto Varsity Blues and the University of Western Ontario Mustangs. "We are so much better than last year, but we do not have the same fire power as U of T or Western."